A Savior's Love
by Thkl8
Summary: After Killian's departure from Storybrooke, Emma is downtrodden and confused about her future. With help from her family she is able to move past this disappointment and find love with an unexpected new lover. Rated M for content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : Hi everyone! I am new to OUAT fanfic and have had this little story in my head for a while. This is set in mid-late season 6, but of course some things are changed. Please let me know what you think—I hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 1**

"It's not just that he killed my… _grandfather_ , I guess?" Emma took a drink and placed her rocks glass back down on the bar. "It's that he kept it from me. It's about the secrets." She looked at her mother. She was beautiful, Emma thought. Secretly she had always wished that she resembled her mother a little more than she did, but she had gotten used to her looks—her blonde hair, reminiscent of her father, David, stuck out in contrast so many years ago when she met her mother, Mary Margaret, at the time. She spent days, weeks even, trying to find similarities between the snow white beauty and the image that stared back at her in the mirror. The touch of her mother's hand on her own caused her to come back to reality.

"Well, you know Killian, Emma. The _real_ Killian—not big, bad, Captain Hook." She rubbed her daughter's arm lovingly. "Do you think that's really who he is?"

Emma placed her hand over her mother's on her arm. "You know," she tapped on her hand and looked up, meeting those hazel eyes staring back at her, "I've given him so many chances. I can't do it again." Snow nodded sympathetically. "I'm not completely sure _which_ Killian he really is, but just the fact that I have any doubt at all is reason enough for me to be done with it…with him."

Snow took a deep breath. "I know you really loved him, Emma."

She nodded, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I mean, I did. But…" she turned in her barstool toward her mother. "Was there ever a time where you doubted David? Not just in facts, or in an argument or whatever, but _actually_ doubted his character, and who he was as a person?" Snow shook her head: she truthfully couldn't remember a time when she doubted David—he was her one true love. "As easy as it is in our world to _know_ when it's true love's kiss…I know he wasn't my true love…as corny as that sounds."

"Oh, Emma, honey, it's not corny. It's real…and it's true. And that's all your father and I want for you—for you to find your destiny, and share your life with someone. Someone who loves you unconditionally: not because you're 'the savior,' or because you can do something for them. But, someone who completes you." Emma smiled compassionately at her mother and finished her bourbon on the rocks. They both took a breath as Snow attempted to somewhat change the subject.

"So, where'd he go?" She finished her wine as she waited for Emma to answer.

"I assume he took the Jolly Roger somewhere. I know he was eager to explore the seas in the other realms…maybe that's where. But, I doubt he's coming back." She paused. "Which is probably for the best. I don't think he'd like the Emma he'd return to if he came back."

Just as she said this, the door to the bar opened and Emma turned to see Regina. It was Emma's own secret; she thought Regina was breathtakingly beautiful—with her dark hair and piercing brown eyes, it was hard for Emma not to take her eyes off of her. She could admit to sometimes fantasizing about being with Regina when someone mentioned Henry's two moms. But, overall, she never let anyone know that she felt that way.

Regina approached the bar and sat on the other side of Snow, quickly ordering a glass of red wine. Emma didn't know if it was the alcohol getting to her or not, but she couldn't help staring, unapologetically, at the gap in Regina's low cut silk shirt.

"Emma, Snow, what's going on?" She paused. "Everything ok?" She was concerned—Regina almost never saw either of these women at the bar she frequented almost every Friday night. Just as she was going to say something else, Snow looked toward Emma and began to answer.

"Oh, everything's fine. I just wanted to get Emma out of the house." Regina looked down to Emma's left hand, her diamond engagement ring absent.

"Did he leave?" Regina looked at Emma as her wine was delivered.

Emma nodded, shrugging a bit. "I guess so…he's not coming back." Regina was ashamed to admit that she was happy to hear that. Of course she wanted Emma to be happy, but when Killian was around, she thought she had lost her chance with Emma for good.

"Are you ok?" Regina asked with all the sincerity she could muster. Emma nodded with a sympathetic, honest smile. "Good. Well…" she raised her wine glass. "To new beginnings, right?"

Snow nodded, a smile on her face. She raised her glass and clinked hers together with Regina's as they both looked toward Emma. The blonde reluctantly smiled and raised her glass. "To new beginnings." She couldn't help but lock eyes with Regina as they both looked at each other while they drank.

They had never spoken about their unknown mutual attraction to each other. Before Ruby found Dorothy, though, she and Emma had a fling. It was a short-lived affair, but Regina found out about it, innocently, when Ruby showed up at her doorstep drunk one night. Since then, and since Robin died, Regina had been quietly biding her time, waiting for Killian to screw up.

Regina always secretly found Emma sexy, and when she vanquished the Evil Queen from her personality, she saw more beauty in Emma's heart than she had before—she was heartbreakingly beautiful. It was difficult, watching Hook swoop in, but now that he was gone, maybe Regina could do some swooping of her own.

Snow sat quietly between Emma and Regina. Situated at the corner of the bar, it was easy for her to see her daughter on her left and Regina on her right. She swore she saw a small twinkle in her daughter's eye when Regina spoke about new beginnings, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't completely sure about her daughter's dating preferences, but she remembered Emma and Ruby being close at one time—David always said something was going on between the two of them. Both Snow and David just wanted Emma to be happy, and they didn't care who it was with.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head out." Snow patted Emma's hand and displayed her phone, a picture message from David showing Neil lying in his crib. "I just hate being away when we put him to bed." Emma nodded as she was served another drink.

"Oh I—," she tried to get the bartender's attention, but to no avail. Her voice faded out as she looked toward her mother.

Snow looked toward Regina and cleared her throat. "Hey Regina, could you give Emma a ride hom—," Emma cut her off.

"Mom, I'm fine." She waved her hand and got up off her stool to give her mother a hug. Instead of her surefooted plan, she stumbled into Snow's arms and chuckled, wrapping her arms around her mother. "I love you. Kiss Neil for me."

Snow stood her back up and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you Emma." As she turned to leave, Emma sat back down in her barstool, leaving an empty seat between herself and Regina. Snow turned toward Regina and leaned over toward her, whispering. " _Please_ make sure she gets home ok." Regina nodded and waved goodbye to Snow, quickly turning her darkening eyes toward Emma.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Regina looked toward Emma and watched as the savior swirled her drink around in her glass, tilting it back toward her mouth before abruptly stopping. "What?" It was low, a quiet question that sort of fell from her lips. She saw Regina watching her from the corner of her eye and turned toward her as she asked this question.

Regina finished the last of her wine and set her glass down, turning her full attention to the blonde. "Oh," she cleared her throat, "nothing." Emma rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, listening as Regina scoffed.

"What? Regina? What?" Emma thumped her glass down on the bar, catching the attention of a few people. Regina's eyes darted around, shooting Emma a shocked look. As the other patrons went back to whatever they were doing, Regina lowered her voice.

"Emma. Seriously?" Regina looked at Emma, stunned. The blonde looked down at the now empty glass, tracing her finger around the rim absentmindedly. She seemed to calm down after a few moments and looked up at the bartender. He made eye contact with her, the unasked question on his face. She thought for a minute and shook her head, pushing the glass forward on the bar so he could take it. Regina did the same with her wine glass, secretly relieved that Emma wasn't going to drink any more. The bartender came and took both glasses, handing both women their checks.

"You know, I never really…" Emma's speech was slurred, and Regina knew she was probably drunk, so she waited for her to continue. "I didn't ever really thank you." Regina turned in her chair to face Emma, a questioning look on her face. "For Henry." There was a long silence between them during which Emma stood up and placed some money on the bar. She came around the corner to Regina's bar stool and placed her hand on the back of it. "Do you remember when I first came here?" Emma was looking down toward the floor, but she reached up and took Regina's hand, in hers. When their eyes met, Emma continued.

"When we thought…he was gone, for good?" Tears pulled at the corners of Emma's eyes and Regina lowered her head in disappointment.

"Yeah. Because of me." Emma took Regina's shoulders into her hands, squarely standing squarely in front of her.

"Regina. That doesn't matter." She paused. "But, when I came here, there was something you didn't know." Regina looked up at her. "I can tell when people are lying. I know you know that now, but you didn't then." Regina shook her head, a little confused. "I asked you if you loved Henry…and you said yes." They locked eyes. "And I knew that you weren't lying. You loved him then Regina, and you love him now. And I want to properly thank you for that—everything he does, he does out of love and with a pure heart. I wanted to believe, for the longest time, that it was because of me, and because I came back to Storybrooke, but now I know it's because of you." Before Regina could respond, Emma turned to leave and headed toward the door.

Quickly Regina threw a couple dollars on the bar and disappeared in a could of purple smoke, reappearing outside on the sidewalk just as Emma exited the bar. "Emma. Wait." She held her hands up. "Let me make sure you get home ok." Emma sighed and quickly gave up a fight she hadn't even started yet.

"Alright. Can we walk? I'd just rather be outside."

Regina nodded, chuckling. "You're more like your mother and father than I think you give yourself credit for. Snow and David were constantly outside." Emma scoffed quietly, dismissing her thought hastily.

"I should be so lucky." She turned toward Regina and couldn't help but trace her eyes down to the third button on her blouse—normally buttoned up, it was unbuttoned and loose, showing a little more cleavage than usual. Emma could admit it to herself: Regina was classically beautiful, but more than that, she was one of the sexiest women Emma had ever seen. She was lost in a daydream when she heard Regina's voice interrupt her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Regina was walking at a leisurely pace, hoping to spend a little more time with Emma than the walk from the bar to her house would normally take.

"I just mean…well, sometimes I don't blame you for not liking them so much back in the Enchanted Forest." She laughed a little, and then continued. "No, no, they're great." Her voice trailed off a bit. "But sometimes the whole 'true love' thing gets a little tiring." Emma walked slowly, scuffing the heels of her boots along the sidewalk. She looked down and watched as the sidewalk swayed back and forth under her feet. She reminded herself to keep her guard up: she was definitely tipsy, if not drunk. She didn't want to say anything stupid.

"So what?" Regina asked. "You don't believe in true love anymore?" Secretly, Regina hoped Emma's answer would be in her favor.

"Anymore?"

"Hook…" she paused, "you two were—"

"That was never true love…I mean, I don't know if I've every actually _felt_ it before, but I feel like it's something that you know for sure, and you don't just guess about."

"Well, that's true." Regina thought of Robin. Emma knew that's what the silence was for. "But if it ever happens again, you'll know."

"Again?" _Shit_. Regina didn't mean to say that out loud. If it ever happened again for _her_ , she meant. For the first time since Robin died, she found herself attracted to someone else. She was hopeful: for new beginnings, for Henry, and for Emma.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Emma was quiet—she didn't know what to say. She always felt guilty and responsible for Robin's death, even after they had talked about it so many times. After everything Regina had gone through, Emma wished that she could help Regina get her happy ending.

They walked along, making small talk about Henry and school, before eventually making their way to Emma's house on the outside of town. The savior approached the stairs that led up to her blue Nantucket-style home. The moon gave off enough light for Regina to see her plop down halfway up the stairs. She chuckled lightheartedly as she advanced toward the stairs. "You ok?"

Emma had to admit it to herself—it was probably a funny sight. At the beginning of the walk home she was just happy to be outside and feel the wind cool her flushed face, but after almost two miles, all she wanted to do was sit down. They both sat halfway up the stairs: Emma couldn't help but stare at Regina. Her eyes were like something from Emma's dreams—they were the most calming, yet most fierce, brown color she had ever seen. They sat there together, quietly musing whatever thoughts were in their own heads. There was no way either one could have known they were thinking about each other. Regina reminded herself not to get too carried away with her thoughts. She tread on thin ice to break the silence.

"So what now? About Killian, I mean." _Killian,_ she thought with a huff and internal roll of her eyes. She had waited for what seemed like a lifetime for his misstep, and now that it had finally happened she wasn't sure how to approach the topic, or what to say. Or, more importantly, what Emma _needed_ her to say.

"What about him? He's gone. And he should probably stay that way…if he knows what's good for him." Emma chuckled a bit and continued. "No, but it's over. We're fine…he just couldn't be honest…about keeping secrets and everything." Regina nodded. "I'm sure he's off somewhere—in the seas of the Enchanted Forest…or Agrabah…or Camelot. Who knows." Her voice trailed off. "I'm sure he's better without me anyway." As she began to stand up, Emma strained out a phrase. Regina could have sworn she heard her sigh, "most people are."

Not knowing if this was what she had indeed said or not, Regina decided not to comment. She stood up and made sure Emma got into her house ok. Unexpectedly the blonde turned around and opened the door wide, "wanna come in?" Regina told herself to calm down—it wasn't an invitation into her bed. She leveled out her voice and responded.

"Actually, I probably should. Your mother would appreciate me making sure you got to bed ok." _Whoa, easy there,_ Regina thought.

Emma turned on the spot, the door softly closing behind Regina. "My _mother_?" Regina, in that moment, knew she had made a mistake. "What are you? My keeper?" Emma had turned around and continued down the hallway to her living room, collapsing on the couch when she got there. Her tone wasn't confrontational, but Regina knew the comment had rubbed her the wrong way.

The former queen sat in a grey chair across from Emma, crossing her legs in her usual regal fashion. "Your keeper?" She scoffed. _I wish._ "Not at all Ms. –." This was normally where her 'Ms. Swan' tone would come out, but she reeled it back in. "Emma." She took a breath. "I just know you're a little…inebriated?...And I want to make sure you get home and in bed safely."

"Welp," Emma took her boots off and leaned back on the couch, resting her sock clad feet on the opposite arm. "I don't think I'll be making it to my bed tonight…" with a sigh she turned to get comfortable, placing a pillow under her arm, curling up on the couch and looking across at Regina.

"I mean, if you want, you can stay here." There wasn't any kind of motivation behind it, but Regina's heart leapt up into her throat before she shook her head.

"I should get home, really." She uncrossed her legs and looked at Emma as the blonde nodded in understanding. Regina stood and walked over to the couch, looking down on the savior who was nodding off. She located the yellow and blue blanket that Granny had knit for Henry, took it off of its rung on the holder and unfolded it over Emma, pulling it up to her chin. "Goodnight Emma."

Regina was surprised when she turned to leave and felt Emma's hand connect with her own. The blonde pulled her down into a hug. "Thank you." It was a whisper and, what sounded like, on the verge of tears. Regina looked down into those familiar jade eyes and, for a moment, couldn't speak. She simply nodded, unaware and unfamiliar with the feelings stirring in her heart. Regina turned toward the front door and passed by the steps, never noticing Henry sitting just low enough to see what had just played out.

He simply smiled and turned around, heading back up the stairs toward his room. Regina softly closed the front door and began to lock it, however when she pulled her hands from her pockets to enchant the lock, she noticed something she hadn't experienced in a long time: her magic was acting out.

"No…" she mumbled. "It can't… _can_ it?" The brunette beauty calmed her nerves, closing her eyes for a few moments before reopening them and wringing her hands together. "God, pull it together Regina." She looked down at her hands that had an odd, distinctly pink glow about them, and concentrated on the lock—and only the lock. After a few seconds, she felt the familiar pressure and heard the deadbolt turn. She quickly put her hands back in her pockets and began walking back toward the town center, her mind racing. When Henry looked out his bedroom window a few moments after he reached his room, he caught a glimpse of fading purple smoke and knew his mom was probably safe at home in her bed in the mayor's mansion.

Emma turned over on the couch at the sound of the deadbolt fastening. She laughed to herself. Regina, a magical queen, had lived in the real world for so long that she actually worried about locking a door when she left somewhere. _That was a nice thought_ —thinking of Regina before she faded back into her drunken stupor. There was something, however, that pricked at her. As she turned onto her back, she pulled her hands out from under the pillow and noticed a tingling feeling, and a— _was that pink?_ —hue on her fingernails. "What the fuck?" Thinking a magical release might help, she poofed herself upstairs and into her bed. It seemed to help a little bit, and the annoying itching/prickling was gone from her fingertips, so she laid back and went to sleep for the night.

Regina appeared not at home, but in her family vault. It was late, she knew, but there was just something she had to know— _hoped_ to know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The conjuring spell was second nature to Regina, and she could almost do it in her sleep. But, this was only the second time it worked across realms. She opened her eyes and saw, right in front of her, Tinkerbell. The woman was still disoriented, looking around trying to get her bearings, when she heard Regina's voice.

"Tink." Tinkerbell spun around. They had a complicated relationship, but over the past few years, they had patched things up.

"Regina!" A smile spread across her face. "Bringing me across realms? Must be important."

"Well…" Regina paused. "I have a hunch. Well…not even a hunch. I guess and odd feeling…" Her eyes closed softly as she exhaled. "But, I need to know something."

"Ok. How can I help?" Regina took a moment and looked toward Tink. "Or, _can_ I help?"

"Yes. Yes, you can." Regina recognized the butterflies in her stomach—nerves. "Do you remember the night outside the tavern? When you took me there to show me my true love?" Tink nodded. "You said the one with the lion tattoo." Regina took a breath, this next question a pivotal one. She wished Emma were with her to know if Tink was telling the truth or not. "How did you know my true love was in that tavern?"

"Well, my fairy dust took us there."

"Yes, but how do you _know_ it was meant to take us to the _tavern_? You and I both saw the pale pink light over the whole area. It took up almost a whole block."

"Block?" Regina covered her aggravation with Tinkerbell's ignorance of new world vernacular by asking a more pointed question.

"Tink. How do we know the dust was meant to shine over the tavern alone? It was also over the dock and three other buildings."

Tink's eyes darted around the small space, obviously flustered. "Well, it was the dust…you can't expect it to travel a thousand miles and fall only on one solitary spot."

"So, no…?" Regina wouldn't admit to herself why she was asking these questions.

"Well, no, Regina. One simple grain of—in your case, pink—dust isn't going to ignite and hover over one singular person like a halo. It illuminates the _way_ , Regina, you still have to follow the path yourself."

Her head was spinning, but she tried to make sense of what Tink was saying. "Regina, what are the chances that someone else, with a lion tattoo no less, was in that same, uh—square?"

"Block."

"Yes, block, when we were. Why are you doubting this?" Tink's eyes turned sympathetic. "I know it's been difficult since Robin died, Regina—."

"No." She cut Tink off with a wave of her hand. "No, it's not that." The former fairy looked toward the once queen, urging her to continue. Instead, Regina grabbed a dusty book from the shelf and swiftly flipped to a page with a familiar picture of Snow and David. She began to read.

 _Prince Charming approached the coffin and watched as the glass was lifted. He looked upon his true love and leaned down, placing a long-awaited kiss on her lips. As the dwarves watched, a green flame shot from Snow White's chest and connected with the same color sparks emitting from Prince Charming's lips. In a moment, they were both engulfed in green smoke, twirling and swirling around both of them as Snow White sat up, now awake, smiling at her true love._

Regina looked at Tink, who had no discernable response. She reached for another book—one that resembled Henry's and flipped through until she found two more familiar faces.

 _Mila reached out and pulled Captain Hook into a deep embrace, holding his body tighter than she had ever done before. Smee looked on as red electricity seemed to crackle from his captain's hook as he held the raven-haired woman. She leaned back and looked into his eyes before their lips connected, sending red sparks twirling around them and shooting up the masts on the Jolly Roger. When they both opened their eyes, the ship itself was clouded in red sparks, signaling their true love._

Regina couldn't believe what she was reading. Why hadn't she thought of this before? _Probably because she never read fairy tales in Storybrooke._ She paged through the book again, trying to find a contradiction, when she saw two more people she recognized.

 _Belle turned to face the beast, no longer seeing the scaled villain that stood before her, but the man within. Her smile illuminated the room as he walked closer to her, reaching out to caress her face. As he did so, she moved closer and kissed him: yellow smoke engulfed both of them, swirling around their connected bodies. Rumplestiltskin pulled away realized what had happened, for Belle had indeed learned to love a beast._

Regina closed the book and looked up, locking eyes with Tink. "Nothing like that ever happened between Robin and me…" Her voice trailed off. "Yes, I loved him, but maybe I just _thought_ he was my true love because you told me that's what it was supposed to be. And, I just assumed it was Robin." Tink's eyes widened. "What? I can tell you want to say something."

"The flare." Regina urged her to continue. "That's how you know…the _flare_." Regina was confused, but Tink was now doing some searching of her own. She pulled out a book that she recognized, marked with Blue's enchanted magic. Quickly, she flipped through the pages until she found the paragraph she was looking for.

 _A sudden burst of bright flame or light will appear in true love's company, when two souls are united as one, bound and held by the bond of love. When two souls unite in true love, their individual sparks will match to ignite a flame so powerful it will engulf them completely._

Regina stepped back and looked at Tink. "That never happened with Robin." She didn't know how to feel. "But how…? Who?" Regina hesitated. All she could think of was Emma: in one moment, she was hopeful for the chance that Emma could be her true love. But, at the same time, she knew there was no possible way Emma could have been at that tavern that night. And, to top it off, she didn't have a lion tattoo.

"Regina, I don't know. All I know is that the pink dust led us to the tavern. Maybe you're right…maybe it wasn't Robin. But, who else would it be?"

Regina tucked her head down and sighed. "Well, I'm not sure. But, thank you for helping me." She smiled at Tinkerbell and waved her hand.

"You're welcome. I hope you find what you're looking for." Tink was disappearing into nothingness, and in a moment's time she was gone.


End file.
